If Destiny's Kind
by AngelaLeeHarden
Summary: What if Shane HAD shot Rick when they faced off? Shooting his best friend down in cold blood, Shane now has everything he's wanted but with Rick's death the group seems to have little chance for survival. With Carl pulling away, Daryl causing trouble, Maggie mourning for her family, Glenn fretting over her being, AND a pregnant Lori, was it REALLY worth it? Is Rick REALLY dead?
1. Chapter 1

This is a gift for I'm-Sorry-I-Lie but I hope the rest of you enjoy this story as well, this is basically kind of a 'what if' on my part but I can't kill Rick so yeah :P

W.I.S (What's In Store): Rickyl. Alive Shane.

I do not own The Walking Dead.

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**If Destiny's Kind**

Time seemed to slow as his old friend, his BROTHER, fell to the ground underneath the cloudy, moonlit night sky with blood quickly soaking the circumference of fabric around the bullet wound. All of this sparking a memory within Shane's mind . . . the first time Rick had been shot by those criminal bastards they'd been chasing, he remembers being scared out of his mind when he saw Rick fall to the ground with a cry, he remembers being worried for his friend's health, for his life . . . but now?

"Sorry brother."

Turning on his heel to head back to the barn, Shane freezes in his tracks once he sees Carl standing stock still with an unreadable expression.

"Now, Carl . . . ,"

"D-Did he get b-bit?"

Pursing his lips, Shane finds himself a little at war with himself about lying to the boy, but it seemed he was going to be in this for the long haul, so he sighs and kneels before the boy and places a comforting hand upon his shoulder.

"I . . . I'm sorry, Carl." Shane begins, he sees the boy's eyes cloud over, "I tried to save him, but . . . it wasn't enough."

Silence.

"I see."

The almost cold demeanor wasn't what Shane had been expecting, but he supposed the young boy had his own way of dealing with the death of someone close, he'd seen that firsthand after the whole ordeal with Sophia. A hungered cry captures their attention, looking out over the field; they spot walkers, dozens of them. An entire horde of infected ambling towards them, Shane looks back to Rick's prone body then back to the walkers. It feels wrong leaving the man there to be devoured, but it's not like he can do anything about it now, he turns to Carl and gives the boy a push:

"Carl, run!"

**I-D-K**

Somehow, someway everyone manages to meet up back at the road where they had originally started out, although the group was smaller than it had been. There were now only six of them remaining: Carl, Daryl, Glenn, Lori, Maggie, and Shane.

"Where's Rick?" Lori is the first to ask, but before Shane can reply, someone beats him to it.

"Dead." it was Carl, his voice cold and eyes distant, he doesn't even look at any of them as he says it.

Of course, Glenn tries to be the optimist, "He could still be alive . . . ,"

"No." Carl shakes his head, "I saw Shane shoot him . . . he was bit."

All eyes fall on Shane, the ex-sheriff looking remorseful, Lori soon breaks out into sobs, but as she tries to her son, he pulls violently away from his mother, his eyes still downcast as he turns on his heel and walks from the group, the boy opting to sit inside the car they'd arrived in . . . Daryl narrows his eyes on the man who allows a crying Lori to wrap her arms around him. The hunter knew a liar when he saw one, and this man was definitely spewing bullshit.

"Now what?" Daryl demands, "There's only SIX of us. How we gonna survive?!" first Carol, now Rick, "Far's I know, I'm the only one who knows how t' hunt. T' survive!"

"Without Rick," Glenn begins, his eyes falling on everyone, "What're we going to do?"

"We move on," Shane sighs, "I . . . I'll take charge. I knew Rick best."

"Right." Daryl sneers, Shane knew only ONE thing about leading and that was leading them to their deaths, he'd sooner throw them all to the wolves just to protect Ms. Thang and her kid. Like hell Daryl was going out that way, "G'luck with that."

Lori balks, "You're leaving?"

"O' course! I see no reason t' stick around with ya'll!" Daryl snaps as he revs his motorcycle, he narrows his eyes on Lori, or more specifically her stomach, "Once that baby o' yours comes into the world, it'll be kicking and screaming. That thing's gonna get us all killed sooner or later, and I ain't dying for some kid that ain't mine."

"Right and going off on your own is any better?" Glenn challenges, "Look, I think it'd be better if we all just stick together."

"Daryl," Shane begins, placing a hand on Daryl's shoulder, "We need you."

"Get your damn hands off me!" Daryl bites out caustically, "Y' only NEED me because I know how to provide for myself! Ya'll know you won't last one damn DAY without me busting my ass for you guys! Well you know what," Daryl growls, glaring Shane down, "I see no reason to break my back for a bunch of pansy-asses I don't even KNOW, let alone LIKE. I'm outta here."

"So you'd be willing to let some unborn child die?" Shane growls, "And what about Carl, he's just a kid!"

"Don't you DARE try and play that shit on me." Daryl hisses, getting in Shane's face, "They ain't my kids, and maybe you should o' thought about that before ya went and knocked up Queen Bee over there!"

Shane frowns, "I can't let you go."

"What ya gonna do?" Daryl challenges savagely, "Cuff me t' something?"

"I just might."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Guys, stop!" Glenn finally interjects.

Pushing the two away from one another; this earns Glenn a fist to the face by Daryl, the young man stumbling back only for Maggie to catch him, Shane instantly pulls Daryl from his motorcycle and throws him to the ground.

"Daryl!" Lori shouts as she went to help Maggie.

"What's your problem!?" Maggie shouts, glaring at Daryl.

"I'm tired of him sticking his damn nose where it don't belong!" Daryl whirls his attention on Shane who was glaring down at him,, "In fact, I'm sick of all ya'll sticking your damn noses where it don't belong! If any of ya'll try t' stop me from leaving, you best pray God have mercy on your damn souls!"

"Daryl," Glenn tries again, "You're a part of our group more or less, we're just worried for you . . . you pulling away from us isn't what Carol OR Rick would have wanted!"

"Shut your damn mouth! You don't have any RIGHT talking about what they would or wouldn't have wanted!" straddling his motorcycle, Daryl starts his machine once again, glaring everyone down, "I'm outta here."

The group of adults watches the man as he begins making his way past their vehicles only to stop once again due to a roadblock of the human variety, Carl Grimes to be precise:

"Outta the way kid."

"Take me with you."

"Wha . . . ?"

"Carl," Lori tries, "Don't."

Shane adds, "Listen to your mother, Carl."

"You're NOT my dad." Carl hisses, glaring at the two causing them to reel, he turns his attention back towards Daryl, "I don't wanna stay here. You're right, we're not going to survive . . . not with my dad dead. If I go with you, you can teach me how to hunt, how to survive, I'll do whatever you say."

"Kid, I don't think that's a good idea." Daryl groused, feeling awkward, "Just stay here with the group, you'll only get in my way."

"I won't get in the way, I promise! You can teach me everything!" Carl begs, eyes resembling his father's staring up at Daryl causing the latter to feel himself caving to the boy's logic, "And if you don't . . . I'll just run away from the group!"

"Kid . . . ," Daryl sighs, "You're really busting my balls here."

"Please?"

"Fuck." Daryl growls under his breath before he shuts off his motorcycle, he looks over his shoulder, back at the group, unaware of Carl's look of disappointment, "I'll stay."

"Let's get going then." Shane begins, making his way towards the car.

"C'mon Carl." Lori calls,

"I wanna ride with Daryl." Carl steps towards said man, eyes filled with determination.

"Carl," Lori sighs, she looks to Daryl hoping he'll help her out, "Daryl?"

Stressing his lower lip, Daryl looks from the woman then the boy who was currently looking up at him with those damn blue eyes of his that resembled his father's, the man who saw some worth in him . . . again, he feels himself caving. Mentally cursing himself, he shifts forward in his seat, allowing a little more room for the back, the kid wasn't that big anyway.

"Get on."

"Beaming, Carl clambers awkwardly onto the vehicle as Lori lets out an exhausted, and slightly disappointed, sigh before making her way towards the head vehicle where Shane was currently waiting. Watching her go, Daryl starts to wonder when he'd gotten soft on the boy. Meanwhile, back at the smoking remains of the ruined farm, there lays an ashen body amongst the trampled fields. A man with wavy brown hair and a peppered beard, wearing a blood soaked shirt. Multiple footsteps can be heard approaching the prone man:

"Yo, Boss!" a deep baritone voice calls out, "Look at what I found over here!"

"This better be good." another voice growls, female voice, "Oh? What do we have here?"

"He's still breathing." another male voice states, "I don't see any bite marks."

"What should we do with him?"

"Take him, we'll give him a look over once we get back to the camp."

* * *

Ohoho! Aren't I clever!?

The IDK line breaks are the initials of my story which in this case is IDK, which is something I didn't notice until later . . . so no, I'm am woefully dull. Also the title is from a lyric in a song. Can you guess which one? Yes? No?

One last thing: without Rick there, Daryl is actually ABLE to get into a fist fight, just wanted to point that out. Rick IS the Daryl wrangler in the series.


	2. Chapter 2

I honestly forgot about this until I got an email saying someone had added **"If Destiny's Kind" **to their favorites or something like that, I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.

I do not own The Walking Dead.

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**If Destiny's Kind 2**

_Wandering the eternal plane of whatever image his subconscious was conjuring up now, Shane finds himself stumbling upon an all too familiar site. Everything is JUST as it had been when he and Rick had faced one another for the last time, except this time, the landscape is in grayscale, and the other inhabitant of the wretched memory seemed to be . . . ,_

"_I never thought you'd do it, y'know."_

_There he is. Glancing carelessly over his shoulder, Shane spots Rick standing in the same spot he'd last stood, he was in grayscale as well, except oddly enough, his eyes were glowing a haunting bright blue color and he had a dark splotch where Shane was sure he'd shot him at._

"_I really thought we could've been able to work SOMETHING out," the apparition states idly, in the same way and lilt Rick had used when he was trying to be reasonable, "Surely come to an agreement."_

"_You know that wouldn't have worked, and even if it did, things wouldn't have been the same."_

"_You're probably right, but it wouldn't have hurt to try."_

_Glaring at the ground, Shane decides to just ignore Rick . . . no, the apparition . . . until it decides to leave or whatever it was that his brain had in store for him. But soon enough, the silence is beginning to grate on his patience as he knows the figment is still standing there and waiting for him to respond, throwing another careless glance over his shoulder, he sees that he's right and the apparition is still standing in the same place, staring at him._

"_What?!"_

"_You were always so defensive." Rick, APPARITION, states fondly before the smile slips from his face to be replaced by a troubled expression, "But was killing me REALLY necessary?"_

"_We both couldn't love the same woman."_

"_It wasn't love, Shane."_

"_How do YOU know what I feel!?" Shane bellows, turning on the apparition with such speed that he gave himself a momentary whiplash, "How can you stand there and tell me it isn't, or wasn't, love when you never gave her OR Carl the time of day!?"_

"_I was trying to keep everyone safe."_

"_Things ain't the SAME as they USED to be! If you had only gotten that through your thick skull, we wouldn't have even BEEN in this fucking situation! If only you would have looked after Lori and Carl instead of trying to play the hero!"_

"_I know things aren't the same, but YOU should know that even though things are different, I couldn't turn my back on those who needed help. Not if there was something I could do."_

"_Right," Shane snorts heatedly, "Like when you foolishly charged into Atlanta just to find Merle fucking Dixon all because his little brother was acting like some damn baby over it."_

"_Exactly like that, but even if Daryl hadn't felt the way he did, I still would have gone after Merle. It was my fault he was up there in the first place, I had cuffed him there."_

"_No . . . just shut up. Okay? Shut up. I always HATED it when you pulled stupid shit like that."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Trying to fix something that wasn't even YOUR fault to begin with! You ALWAYS had to fix everyone else's problems! You always had to be the knight-in-shining-armor even when it wasn't wanted OR needed! Like that whole fucked up situation with Sophia!" Shane snaps, "If you had only just let things LIE then Carol wouldn't have been so broken up about it!"_

"_But then she would have never had closure."_

"_I don't believe . . . what about Daryl, huh!? He nearly DIED for a stupid DOLL! A DOLL, Rick!"_

"_Yes, that may be, but it also brought him closer to the rest of us. It let him know that we appreciated his help."_

"_No." Shane spits, "He only cozied up to YOU. Following after you like some lovesick dog waiting for his master's approval. I bet the sick bastard got off on the compliments you gave him. Prob'ly why he moved so far away from the rest of us, so he could jerk off in his tent, the damn queer!"_

"_Shane . . . ,"_

"_As for his help?" Shane steams on, "YOU appreciated his help! I didn't want it OR need it!"_

"_Well, I will admit to appreciating the help because I was the only one looking, but I wasn't the only one who accepted it. Carol also appreciated his help; it had allowed the two of them to become friends."_

"_GOD! JUST . . . !" Shane wishes he'd had hair to rip out, "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP AND GO!"_

_Things begin blurring and swirling together before becoming consumed in darkness, this wasn't the first time he'd seen the asshole masquerading as his dead best friend, and it most certainly won't be the last . . . _waking with a jolt. Shane finds that the others are already up and moving. Sighing, the man sits himself up and scrubs his hands over his face in hopes it would rid his mind of the thoughts, but it could only do so much for movement captures his attention, facing the source, Shane spots Daryl exiting the woods with a couple of squirrels slung over his shoulder, the memories of his _nightmare _came rushing back. He'd just been trying to be an ass to R-, the apparition, and since Daryl had become his antagonist as of late was the only reason he'd even slandered or brought up the hunter in the first place, but could there really be truth there?

"Couldn't you find more?" Lori asks,

"If you think you can do better than me, why don'chu go hunt for yourself." Daryl sneers as he sets his crossbow down, "See how much game YOU can get with winter comin' in as fast as it is."

"Daryl," Glenn sighs, "It's too early."

"Then why don't ya'll mind your own damn business and leave me be."

Realizing that he'd have to step in before Daryl decides to cause yet ANOTEHR fight, Shane slowly rises to his feet, stretching out and enjoying the way his muscles ache. This of course, captures the entire group's attention:

"Good morning, Shane." Lori is the first to greet cordially, "Sleep well?"

"As good as a guy can when he's sleeping on the ground."

"Think I slept any better?" Lori teases good-naturedly, "Daryl caught some food."

"I . . . I can see that."

"Daryl~!" Carl beams as he sits beside the hunter, "Can you show me how to skin a squirrel~?"

"Maybe some other time when I ain't freezin' my ass off."

Carl takes on a downtrodden look but is mostly ignored by the gruff man, Shane stands beside Lori who had been watching the exchange in an almost disapproving manner which would, without a doubt, send Daryl into another hissy fit, and Glenn was right. It WAS too early for the redneck's bullshit.

"We're gonna have to find a place to bunker down and weather out the winter." Shane speaks, capturing the mother's attention, "Can't be wandering around out in the open anymore. Maybe scavenge some heavier clothes."

"Sounds as good as any other plan."

Memories of his nightmare come rushing back causing him to falter, soon enough, he mentally berates himself. What's done is done, he can't go back and change that no matter how fast the guilt was starting to creep up on him.

"I sure hope so."

"What?"

"Nothing." Shane sighs tiredly, suddenly very exhausted despite having just woken up, "Let's just . . . go."

"What about the food?"

"We can eat when we find a safe place to stay the night." Shane begins walking away, not really caring if the others followed him or not, "You can have my portions."

Lori frowns, "Um . . . okay?"

"We're leaving already?" Glenn is the first to ask,

"We JUST woke up." Maggie adds, "Couldn't we take a few to fully wake up?"

"I'm sure Shane's got a good reason for leaving so early."

"An' what the hell am I supposed t' do with these!?" Daryl huffs, gesturing to the squirrels, "'less any of ya'll got a cooler stashed somewhere, these won' make it 'til Shane stops PMS'ing."

"PMS'ing?" Carl mimes, a hint of confusion and amusement evident in his tone.

**I-D-K**

Driving while distracted wasn't the best idea, but Shane couldn't think of anything better to do with his current predicament . . . that dream had really set him on edge, more so than usual, and it was obvious the others knew he was unsettled, but that didn't really stop them from being, well, them. Currently, the group was heading through the countryside with green, green grass and the likes . . . maybe God, or whoever was in charge, was punishing him for betraying his best friend.

"Shane?"

Glancing briefly at his passenger, Shane sees the look of concern etched upon Lori's features:

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Just tired."

"Don't lie to me." Lori grouses, "I've been with Rick long enough to know when a man's lying."

"Not all men are like Rick."

"My point still stands."

"So does mine."

He knew that would open up a whole nasty can of worms, but he found he could care less . . . just WHAT had that dream done to him?

"You're just like him." Lori huffed, "You're both stubborn and won't talk when it's obvious something is bothering you."

"We're nothing alike."

"Could have fooled me."

"Lori." Shane nearly snapped, body tense, "Please, drop it. I'm fine."

There was nothing like the feeling of being at the end of a woman's ire for he felt her glaring daggers at him, but she had dropped it so it was a sort of consolation prize of sorts which meant he wouldn't be poked or prodded at for the answers he didn't want to give. How could one say they were dreaming of their ex-best friend who they just so happened to murder in cold blood just for some woman that wasn't even theirs to begin with?

_Wandering the eternal plane of whatever image his subconscious was conjuring up now, Shane finds himself stumbling upon an all too familiar site. Everything is JUST as it had been when he and Rick had faced one another for the last time, except this time, the landscape is in grayscale, and the other inhabitant of the wretched memory seemed to be . . . ,_

"_I never thought you'd do it, y'know."_

_There he is. Glancing carelessly over his shoulder, Shane spots Rick standing in the same spot he'd last stood, he was in grayscale as well, except oddly enough, his eyes were glowing a haunting bright blue color and he had a dark splotch where Shane was sure he'd shot him at._

"_I really thought we could've been able to work SOMETHING out," the apparition states idly, in the same way and lilt Rick had used when he was trying to be reasonable, "Surely come to an agreement."_

_That had been his cue to speak, repeat what he'd said the other night when they'd appeared before one another, but he knew what game this apparition was playing and he knew it well for he had played it many times over. Manipulation. He wasn't going to give it the satisfaction it was seeking, and if that meant wallowing in his guilt silently, then so be it, but he wasn't going to be another's plaything . . . he was truly going mad._

"_Why won't you talk to me?"_

_"__Because you're not real."_

Because I can't.

I won't.

_"__Yet here I am." the figure prods, "I've also noticed that you haven't really called me by my name. Why is that?"_

_"__Because you're not Rick."_

He died a long time ago.

When I killed him.

_"__I don't understand."_

_Shane remains silent._

"_Shane?" a hand touches his shoulder, "What's wrong?" Shane frowns, "You know you can tell me. We're friends. Brothers."_

_That was it. Shoving the imposter backwards, Shane whirls on the apparition, hands instantly wrapping around the other's throat, clenching hard enough to break one's neck, his eyes wild._

_"__You have no RIGHT calling me your brother! We're not friends! We're not brothers! You're not REAL! You're NOTHING to me!" Shane bellows, voice breaking, "The Rick __I __knew wouldn't try and MANIPULATE someone! The Rick __I __knew . . . ! The Rick I knew died. A long time ago. When I . . . ,"_

_"__I understand."_

_That was it. Shane knew this was Rick, the Rick HE knew. Always level-headed even when they were fighting, when Shane pushed him too far. This was the Rick Lori both loved AND hated, for no matter how much she yelled and fought with him, he always tried to be rational and never let his emotions get the better of him._

_This was HIS Rick._

_The one he betrayed._

_And for what . . . ?_

_Carl was pushing his mother away and closing in on himself. Daryl was reverting back to his old ways, but this time, there was something a little more feral, rabid, it was only a matter of time before he left. Glenn was trying to help, he really was, but he was often shot down rather violently by Daryl (Carl had even joined in that one time much to his mother's horror), and worrying about Maggie's wellbeing. Lori was now five months along and food was scarce, so others had to relinquish their portions to the woman. And Maggie, Maggie was still mourning for the family she had lost that fateful day, and even though she was slowly coming out of that slump, she was coming back hollow._

_Slowly, Shane's hands slip from Rick's throat to his shoulders, then his back where he pulls the other man in to an all too familiar hug. Burying his face into his best friend's shoulder._

_"__I'm sorry . . . ," Shane whispers hoarsely, hands clutching at the fabric of Rick's shirt, he can feel the other wrap his arms around him in a comforting embrace, "I'm so sorry . . . ,"_

_"__It's okay." Rick assures, gently patting his friend's back, "I understand."_

_Just . . . feeling, hearing, his best friend truly for the first time since his death, brought Shane to the edge, and for the first time, he allowed himself to cry . . . _stressing her lower lip, Lori wasn't entirely sure if she should wake Shane or not, even as the tears streaming down his face became more prominent.

"Oh Shane," Lori murmurs sadly.

* * *

I wanted to focus on Shane for a bit and listened to Hurt by Johnny Cash while writing this so that might be able to help you understand the mood of this chapter.

Also yes guest, you are right, the title is from Reasons Unknown by The Killers.


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